Scutching machine



March 4, 1941. A; F. BURKARDT scu'rcama' MAQHINE' FiledAAug'. l0, 1938 3SheetS--Sheetr 2 INVENTOR ANTON FI BURKARDT N \N lmml Q BY HIS ATTORNEYSMarch 4', 1941.

A. F. BURKARDT scUTcHING MACHINE 3 Smets-sheets Filed Aug. 1o, 1958 .T oY MM R OKR ,TRO NUT. EBM -v `..N.. .S M Fm NY OB .V A. mw. m

v FLC Patented Mal-.4, 1941 UNITED STATES scu'rcmNG MACHINE Anton F.urkardt, New York, N. Y.

y Application August 1o', 1938, ser-n1 No. 224,164

s claims. (ci. rea-33) proved machine for treating stems or stalks ofy.fibrous plant materials for the purpose of 4separating out the fibresand cleaning them of shives,

' 1.5. which machine will produce cleaner fibres and less tow than priormachines.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved form ofscutching rotor for use in the above type of machine and to provide animproved cooperation between the scutching rotor and the breaker bar andbetween adjacent scutching rotors.

Other objects and advantages .of Amy invention will become apparent asvit is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a schematicview showing tudinal vertical section the feedrolls,` breaker bar and scutching rotors of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of the first set of scutching rotors;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of the invention;

Figs. 4 and 5 are diagrammatic end elevation views of the scutchingrotors in diiferentrelative positions;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation view of the invention showing the sideopposite to Fig. 3; and

Fig. '7 is a detail view of another form of breaker bar.

10 Referring to the drawings, the scutching machine may be mounted uponany suitable framework I0. For the purpose of illustration I have shownthe framework as including parallel side plates I2 and I4 which supportthe moving parts of the machine. Since any suitable supporting frame maybe employed detailed description thereof need not be given. v

Considering the machine generally it will be noted that atl one endthere is provideda delivery platform Il which is supported upon theframework of Athe machine and over which the fibrous stalks or materialsare fed to steel food rolls Il and 20. These rolls are for the purposeof insuring the delivery of a single layer' of stalks.

which layershall be of substantially even thickness throughout. Therolls may be adjusted to crush such stalks as may be necessary to insuresuch even thickness. The rolls I8 4and 20 deliver the stalks to a secondpair of feed rollers 22 and 24, of which roller 22 may be rubber cov- 5ered to more firmly grip the stalks. From the feed rollers 22 and 24 thestalks are fed over a breaker bar 26 and beneath a small feed andholding roller 28 to a pair of scutching rotors 40 and 50. After partialcleaningv by these scutching 10 rotors the fibrous material is deliveredbetween a' second set offscutching rotors and 10. 'I'he treatment byrotors 60 and 10 completes the action on `the bres and they may beremoved from the machine vby hand or by .any suitable mechanical device.

Referring more particularly to the constructional and functionaldetails, the mounting of the feed rollers I8, 20, 22 "and 24 may beaccom- 2o plished by providing in the side plates I2 and I4, or theirequivalent, vertical slots I3, I5, I1 and I9, in whichvare receivedsimilar bearing blocks 2I for the ends of the shafts 23 and 25 and 21and 29 upon which the feed roll-S18, 20,22 and 24 are 25 mounted,respectively. In order to vadjust the position of the upper rolls I8 and22 with relation to the lower rolls 20 and 24, there may be providedadjustment bolts 30 which are'screwthreaded through a plate or member onthe ma- 30 chine frame and extending across the ends of the slots I3,I5, Il and I9. The lower endsof the bolts are attached to the bearingblocks of the 'upper rollers by a loose rotatable connection sothat uponrotation of the adjustment bolts lll 35 the upperfbearing blocks 2| willbe raised or lowered and therefore the position-.of the upper rolls withrelation to the lower rolls may be varied.

For driving the feed rollers a power shaft 24 may be journaled in thesupport I0 of the ma- 40 chine and receive power from any suitablesource. Fixed upon one end of and rotating with the power shaft 34 is asmall sprocketwheel 36 (Fig. 3). Fixed upon an end of the shaft 25 ofroller 20 is a large sprocket wheel 38. Connecting the 45 sprocketwheels 36 and 38 is a chain 29 by which Ithe power of the power shaft isdelivered to the feed roller 2li at reduced speed.

On the opposite ends of the' shafts 23 and 25j from the chain andsprocket wheels there are 50 provided similar intermshing spur gears lland 33, (see Fig. 6). AThese gears are keyed to the shafts 23` and 25 soas' to rotate therewith and with the rollers I8 and 2l. In this mannerthe rollers I8 and 2l are driven at the same speed Il in oppositedirections so as to feed the fibrous material between them.

' As may be seen in Figs. 6 and 3, the second. pair oi feed rollers 22and 24 aredriven by sprocket and chain mechanism and by spur gears likethose just describedfor driving the ilrst pair 'offeedroilslland2l. Inorder to hold the stalks rmly as close as possible to the edge ofthebreaker bar 28 as they are fed thereover, a small diameter rollerv 28mounted on shaft 35 is provided between the edge of the breaker bar andthe feed roll 22. 'I'his small roll may have its shaft journaled in theside plates I2 and I4, or equivalent, 'of the frame. If desiredvtheperiphery of the roll 28 may'be scored or iuted.. As .may be seen byreference to Fig. 6 the shaft 35 carrying the roll 2t, may be drivenfrom the shaft 21 of the feed roll 22 by means of a sprocket and chainmecha; nism consisting of a large. sprocket wheel 31 xedly mounted uponand rotating with the shaft 21, a small sprocket wheel 39 is xed uponthe shaft and rotating therewith, and a chain 3@ passing around the twosprocket wheels. In this manner the small feed roll 28 is driven at thesame peripheral speed and in the same direction as the upper feed rollsI8 and 22.

As may be seen by reference` to Fig. 1 the first pair of scutchingrotors 40 and |50 are situated one above the other preferably invertical alignnient, while the second pair, 60 and 1li, are

situated one above the other but`with the axis of the lower rotor l@slightly in advance of the axis of the upper rotor 66. )Each lof thescutching rotors is supported from the side plates i2 and id, orequivalent. For this purpose bearing plates, such for example as i2, maybe bolted to the side plates'by bolts i2h and the plates lila may beprovided with bearings I2 in which the rotate.

shafts upon which the rotors are mounted may For driving the irst pairof rotors d@ and 50 a large sprocket Wheel l2 (see Fig. 3)'is mountedupon the powershaft 3E and is connected by a chain d3 with a smallsprocket wheel 44 mounted upon the shaft 5i of the lower rotor 50. Alsomounted upon the shaft il, but between the sprocket wheel 44 and theside plates I4, is a. spur gear 66 'which meshes with a similar spurgear @t which is mounted upon and turns with the shaft 4| of the upperrotor 40. Mounted upon the end of shaftv 4I is a sprocket wheel 45 whichis connected by s. chain 41 with another larger sprocket wheel 48 whichis mounted on andturns with the shaft 6i of the upper rotor t@ of thesecond set of rotors. In order that both rotors ofthe second set shallbe driven at the same speed, similar intermeshing spur gears I 62 and 63are-mounted upon the shafts 6| and 1i of the rotors 00 and 10. 'Thus itmay be seen that the sprocket and chain drive 42, 42,- 44, to-

gether with the spur gears 4B and 48, causes the rotation of the firstset of scutching rotors40 and 50, and by their rotation. and through thesprocket and chain drive 4i, 41, 49 and spur gears 82 and 6l, the secondset of scutching rotors il) and 10 is rotated.

Referring now to the details of the scutching rotors it willbe notedthat each is provided with four blades, such as 4i, 4B-2, 40-3 and.40-4.' Qn any given roller these scutching blades are identical. Itshould be understood, however, that` the invention'is not hunted torotors having only four blades.

A greater or llesser number of blades may be employed. I have found,however, that arotor with four blades will produce very satisfactoryresults and that fibres subjected to the operation and treatmentportions of the stalks being removed, without producing an appreciableamount of tow.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, it will be noted that each of theblades ofthe rotor has'a substantially plane face lying in` asubstantially 10 radial plane, on the advance or forward side of thescutching edge. The following or back sides or faces of the blades areconvexly curved and meet the advance faces in a plane substantiallytangential to the cylinder` of revolutionof the l5 scutching edges ofthe blades. The portions of the rotor between the adjacentblades, suchas dii- 4, 40-8, is hollowed out in order to 'provide room for movementof the blades of the adjacent roller 50. For example, the blade bi1-Iwill move .20 into the space between the blades v4Ii--3 and dild as therotors d0. and t rotate. Thus the rotors intermesh but the blades are soformed and proportioned, and the spaces between them are so formed andproportioned, and the rotors 25 are so positioned that the blades of onerotor never touch the adjacent cooperating rotor. Preferably the rotorsand their blades will be so proportioned that during the movement of theblade of one rotor into the space between the 30 blades of an adjacentrotor, the clearance at the closest approach of the blade to thelsurface of the adjacent roller, will be slightly greater than thethickness of the brous material being processed so that the action ofthe cooperating rotors 35 and scrapes and beats the fibre to remove theshives. By observing the different relative positions of the blades ofthe two sets of rotors in 40 Fig. 1 and of the set of rotors in thedetail views of Figures 4 and 5 the action of the cooperation of therotors may be understood. I

The cooperative action between the scutching rotors of both the. firstand second sets is sub- 45 stantially the same, but as may be seen inFig. 1 the yupper rotor do of the rst set performs an additionalfunction in that its blades cooperate with the breaker bar 26 as thebrous material is fed over the edge -of this bar. Thus the 50 fibrousmaterial, or stalks, are struck and bent so as to break up the woodycenter portion of the stalks. y f

Referring to Fig. 1 it will be noted that there .is shown a breaker barhaving a plurality of hori- 55 zontai ribs which are spaced about thearc of a circle slightly larger than the circle of rotation of thescutching rotors. However,-I have found equally satisfactory the type ofbreaker bar shown in Fig. 'I in which the face is arcuate and'- 60 thecenterof the arc is the center or axis of rotation of the scutchingrotor 40. Preferably the breaker bar 26 and also the breaker bar 20* oi'Fig. 'I will be adjustable with relation to the axis of rotation of the'scutching rotor 40. vThus 65 screws 26h may be provided to secure thebreaker bar in its different positions of adjustment. These screws maypass through slots 28` in the side plates 28'l xed to the frame of themachine in any suitable manner and may take into screwed- 70 threadedbores in the sides of the breaker bar.

In order to overcome a tendency of the fibres to follow and wind aroundthe rotor 40 in its rapid rotation, I have .found the axis oi rotationof this rotor should be substantially equal 1h15 v height, orhigher thanthe horizontal plane in which the upper edge of the breaker bar lies.

, Tendency of the fibres 'to follow' or wrap around the rotor 50 may beovercome by placing the rotor as close as possible to the rotor 50without interfering with the rotation of either. Since their rotationsare not synchronized vnor do their blades cooperate the least distancebetween centers of these rotors 50 and'il) will be the sum of the radiiof the two rotors.

I prefer to rotate this first set of scutching rotors 40 and 50 veryrapidly. The exact speed of rotation will, of course, be determinedbythe diameter of the rotors and the linear rate of feed of the stalksby the feed rollers. Since the character of the material treated variesaccording to age, size and condition, it is Vnot possible to state anydenite limits of speed of rotation or'rate of feed. These factors mustbe deter` mined with consideration for the raw material to be treated.It is desirable, however, to so regulate the speed of the rotors and therate of feed of the bres to the rotors so that the shives will be intheneighborhood of Vath of an inch but larger or smaller shives maybeproduced ei'- fectively in some cases. The fibrous materials may besatisfactorily cleaned for some purposes when such larger, or smallersize shives result vfrom the treatment. The size of the shives, however,is not the determining factor of the inven- -tion but 'rather the degreeof cleaning shall de-y eral speed considerably higher than the linearvrate of feed of the fibrous material, so that there lwill be no tendencyfor the fibres to bunch up between the two sets of rotors. Since a largeportion of the shives are removed by the first set of scutching rotors,the fibre is relatively clean by the time that.it reaches the second setof scutching rotors and this second set complets the scutching orcleaning of the fibre by breaki ing out and removing the remainder ofthe woody portion of the fibre or shives so that when the fibre isdelivered by the second set of' the scutchk ing rotors it is clean.

In order to produce a lateral rubbing oi' the fibres, it is desirable togive the blades of the scutching rotors a spiral twist (see Fiss. 2, 4and 5). lIfhis twist may be in the neighborhood voi! %ths of an inch foreach 2 feet of length of the rotor. Although this amount of twist hasbeen found particularly satisfactory it is obvious that the amount ortwist may be varied to suit the particular requirements of any typeofviibrous material which it may be desired to treat. n

The spiral twist of' the blades would normally tend to push the fibresover toward one side of the machine. In order to avoid this, the spiraltwist of the rotor 40 vmaybe in the opposite `direction from the spiraltwist of the rotor Il. Likewise in the second set the rotor ll willhaveits blades spirally twisted in the opposite direction as the rotorblades of vthe rotor 1I, but the blades of the roton 80 may be in thesame direction to those of the rotor Iii-of the nrst set. In addition toavoiding the tendency to move the fibres continuously to the side. thereversing ofthe-direction of the spiral twistof the blades yby theblades .of the scutching rotors.

accomplishes another desirable result in that it produces a shakingaction of the fibre to and fro lengthwise of the rotor.y This shakingaction is very valuable in shaking out the loose shives from after theshives have been broken away from the fibres but yet cling thereto.

Operation As the fibres are fed between the feed rollers I8 and 20 thestems are spread out so that only a 'single layer of stems will be fedto the scutching rotors, and if the rollers are' adjusted and suilcientpressure is exerted the stalks may be crushed and split in alongitudinal direction. Then in passing to the rolls 22 and 24 and28.the feed roller 22 firmly grips the stalks and the smallroll 28 holdsthe stalks close to the breaking edge as they are fed over the breakerbar 2B. Thereupon the blades of the rapidly rotating scutching rotor 40strike the stalks with great rapidity and the woody portion is broken upinto small parts. This action ls assistedby the cooperative action ofthe blades of the scutching rotor 40 and the apron of the breaker bar26. The face of the apron of the breaker bar 26 backs up the stalks andprevents them from moving too far. out of the sphere of action of theblades of the scutching rotor.

shives and woody portion from the fibers. As the feed of the fibrecontinues the stalks are subjected to the cooperative beating andscutching action of the first set of two scutching rotors 40 and 50,being treated on-top and bottom thereby.

As the peripheral speed of the scutching rotors I0 and 50' is greaterthan the rate of feed of the fibers, there will be a pulling action onthe fibers The The scutching Ablades of the scutching rotor scrape `oilthe scutching rotors are of small diameter and the It will be noted thatthe portion of the fibers just referred to is being engaged by thecooperating blade 40--3 of the rotor l0,- wlth the result that apronounced scutching and combing action on the taut fibers is produced.Because of the relatively small diameter of the scutching rotors I0 and50, the'various blades of one rotor extend deeply into the space betweenthe adjacent blades on the other rotor. Also, the path of movement ofthe blades, as the blade 0 3, of the rotor l0 with respect to the shapeof the rotor 50 between the blades over which the fibers are being heldtaut, results in producing a physical condition analogous to thatproduced between the blades breaker bar 2B. The blades'of the rotors, asthe blade 40--3 of the rotor 40, enter deeply into the space betweenadjacent blades of the'rotor l0 and with considerable speed. I

ing and combing action by the cooperating blade lli-I of the rotor l0.The greater part ofthe woody portion and shives are cleaned out ofthefibrous material by the scutching rotors ,40 and Il. The now relativelyclean nbers as they move from between the scutching rotors `Il and lllare passed between a second pairof scutching rotors 80 and 1li which,as'above described, rotate at a 5 peripheral speed greater thanthe'speed oi travel l5 high peripheral speed of the rotors 40. and 6l,the

vdecorticated or partially decortic'ated'nber will wind upon the rotorsIl and/or l0, and neces-- sitate a frequent shutting down o! the machineto clean the rotors. The presence of the second pair V2|)l -of rotorsyIt 4and III obviates this'objection as the Ailbers are fed therethroughand thus. nnd an -outlet which prevents the same from winding up ontherotors 40 andlll. Rotating at a less pe ripheral speed than the rotorslll and ",and

'2s tiiisspeed of rotation beine relatively low, there is less tendencyforv the decorticated nbers to wind up on the rotors il and 1l.

The action of the scutching rotors. and

is similar to thescutchingaction of the. rotors lll ..30 and Il, so thatas the nbrous material issues from between the scutching rotors 00 and'Ill it is' practically completely decorticated.

Much of the woody portion and shives are cleaned out of the nbrousmaterial bythe scutching rotors 4l and 'Se and asthe nbre continues'on-in between the more slowlyrevolving rotors` 80 and 10, they act uponvthe nbre in the same manner as the rotors 4l and Il did and com- Ypletethe cleaning. For some uses "the nbre is- 40 suing from the machineneeds no iurtherprocbut for others, such as i'or use in cloth, it may benecessary to subject the nbre to asubsequent combing action orto achemical action, or to both; which subsequent actions form; no parte!`this invention.V4

Many modications within the scope of my invention will occur `to thoseskilled inthe art. Therefore I do not limit the invention to the size,form vand shape of materials, or other delit) tails o! the specincembodiment described.

lclaim: f 1. Ina scutching machine, means to feedgstalks of nbre bearingplants lengthwise into the machine, a plurality ot scutching rotorsrevolvingin pairs about spaced nxed axes, said rotors each having aplurality of blades and being recessed I' between'aiacent blades, meansto` rotate the rotors oieach pair at the same angular speed andln suchmannerthat' the blades of one rotor I will cooperate with the recessedportions oi the 6 other rotor of said pair during rotation to scutch'nbrous material between -said rotors, the blades chine, a plurality ofscutching rotors revolving-in: 15. y'pairs about. spaced fixed axes.said rotors` each v y having a plurality of blades and being recessed vbetween adjacent blades, means to.rotate. the rotors oiv eachpair at thesameangular speed and in such manner that the blades of one rotor 20will cooperate with the recessed portions of the other rotor of saidpair during rotation to scutch nbrous .material .between said rotors,the lblades of the rotors .of .one pair being twisted spirally with thetwist of'the blades ci one rotor being 25 opposite to the twist oftheblades o! the other rotor of that pair, the blades 'of a second pairbeing twisted spirsuy in opposite-directions with the spiral twist oithe blades -6i',the top rotor oi the second pair being in the,- samedirection as 3 the twist of the bottomA rotqr of.' the nrst pair.whereby a shaking. of the nbres is accomplished.

3; In a scutching machine, i'neans'to feed stalks of nbre bearing-plantslengthwise intothe ma- .chine,a plurality oi scutching rotors revolvingin pairsl about spaced nxed axes. said rotors each having a plurality oiblades and being recessed between adjacent blades, means tolrotate thelrotors of each pair atithe same angular speed-1 and in such manner thatthe blades of one .rotor 4o will cooperate with the! recessed portionsof the other rotor of said pair during rotation to scutch.

rotors of each pair being twisted spirally, vwith the vtwist oftheblades oi one rotor being in the 50 opposite direction lto the twist oiAthe blades oi the' other rotor ofthe pair, whereby a1 shaking oi' thenbre is accomplished. Y

ANTON s'. ntmxaan'r; s s'

